Hot Tip: Hatsune’s Secret Dish of the Month REVEALED!

Continuing to create new off-menu dishes to keep their sushi addicts on their toes, the Hatsune Restaurant Group has been discreetly sharing new dishes with their regulars, keeping it all very low-profile and only known by word of mouth.

“Inspired by travel, new kitchen gadgets or seasonal ingredients, each secret off-menu dish is available for only a set period of time (generally a couple of weeks) and a limited supply available each day.” – The Hatsune Team

They’ve already shared a Crab Hot Pot and Okinawa Ramen to warm up guests during Beijing’s colder months, but this April’s secret menu dish is so fresh and vibrant, it puts Spring’s flower buds to shame. But even more short-lived than the cherry blossoms that grace our presence this time of year, this dish will only be available until the end of April – that’s right people, you have a week left!

Sneak Peek of The Taco Bar’s Summer Dishes

The Taco Bar is busy as ever with new summer dishes soon to be added to their growing menu, talks of a re-vamped weekend brunch and (hopefully by the end of this month) the completion of their outside deck for people to dine al fresco this summer.

Last Friday, my friend hosted a rowdy 7-hour birthday bash (literally from 6:30PM until 1:30AM) with 20 people squeezed onto a 14 person table with way too many tequila shots and pitchers of Burros and Margaritas – a perfect Taco Bar-style celebration. Lucky for the birthday boy, we were getting spoiled with special treatment with the introduction of a handful of their new summer dishes.

According to Taco Bar’s owner Kin Hong, these should be available for order at the end of April, once their outside deck is complete!

A Palace Retreat by the Great Wall

The Great Wall of China is one of the most impressive sights in the world. Whether it’s in Spring to see the beautiful cherry blossoms in bloom, in summer to see it in all it’s lush green glory, in autumn to count the vivid shades of gold, orange, ochre and scarlet red, or in winter when no one else dares to climb the wall covered in white, this is one of the world’s most breath-taking wonders and I truly believe that one of the biggest perks about living in Beijing is its proximity to so many hike-able sections of the Great Wall.

Not just a great place to impress guests who visit Beijing from out of town, this is also my retreat when I’m looking for a weekend escape away from the city. I’ve done everything from day hikes to camping on the wall, but my preferred weekend experience is to book a room in either a retreat or a courtyard in one of the countryside villages by the wall.

But that was all before I discovered Ban Jie Gou Villa, a mountain house built by a Brit who has been living in Beijing with his family for over 15 years and originally kept this villa privately for his family and friends as their weekend retreat. But this year, the owner of this villa has decided to make his home away from home available for private bookings.

Spring has Sprung at Susu with Gorgeous Menu Specials

I normally make a big effort to take out-of-towners to various provincial Chinese restaurants (in addition to duck of course) but Susu is the exception for several reasons – 1. it’s still tucked away within a renovated old courtyard home which makes this hideaway gem that much more special, 2. most people who have been eating Chinese food for 3-4 days straight are grateful to have something different and Vietnamese food is still Asian (so a step above eating staple Western food) and it’s refreshing flavors and ingredients make this meal that much more appreciated.

Already opened for about 4 years, Susu (name from a Squash) has continued to be praised and beloved by all for their down-to-earth vibe, superb Vietnamese cuisine and surprisingly fantastic cocktails made with homemade bitters and syrups. Owners Jonathan and Amy have been blessed with talented young Vietnamese chefs who are both inventive and masters of mixing rustic and modern for zesty spring rolls and salads, comforting clay pots, simmering pho, and tasty seasonal creations like their new Spring menu I just can’t stop raving about.

Starting Saturday, March 21st (TODAY!), the Hatsune restaurant group has officially launched a DESSERT menu for the first time since they opened 13 years ago!

The original Californian-Japanese fusion restaurant concept, Hatsune is a time-tested stalwart that has become a veritable institution in Beijing’s dining scene, the very first of its kind in China to feature innovative, cutting-edge California-style sushi rolls on its menu. There aren’t many restaurants in Beijing that have lasted more than 5 years in this fickle and fiercely competitive F&B scene, but Hatsune has proven themselves worthy with their crafty fusion sushi rolls, consistently excellent service and awesome anniversary parties.

The only thing that many of us sushi addicts believed to be missing from our past Hatsune dining experiences was that sweet finish we all crave at the end of a glorious sushi feast. Sure, they always serve that complimentary little mousse dessert, but even after two servings of that, it rarely did the trick.

The Return of Smoothies Implies the Return of Spring

Smoothies have a special place in my heart. Having grown up in northern California, I used to drink smoothies year round. It was part of my daily routine to get a smoothie with my mom every day after school. And my love for smoothies didn’t waver as the years passed, which is probably why my first paid job was working part-time at a small juice and smoothie shop on my college campus.

Living now in grey Beijing, it’s not every day that I treat myself to a fresh fruit and veggie smoothie, but now that I know Obentos is starting up their smoothie menu again, it looks like I’ll be spending a lot more time there this spring, summer and fall!

Lovely ladies who love sushi, here’s a hot tip for you:

For one day only, March 8, Hatsune invites ALL WOMEN who dine in their restaurants to enjoy their signature sushi rolls for only RMB 38 (for March 8, get it?!)

That’s right ladies, for every woman who dines in one of their 3 branches (Guanghua Lu, Kerry Center or Sanlitun Taikoo Li), she is entitled to order any roll she desires for the set price of RMB 38 – that’s more than 50% off some of their best selling rolls! Note that the only exception is their Heirsun Roll – the blinged out insanely luxurious roll priced at RMB 9,999).

So, in short, start rallying up your girlfriends – the more women you dine with, the more you will be rewarded with excellent sushi variety!